Musical Theater to stage Golden Wedding

Azerbaijan State Musical Theater hosted a public viewing of "The Golden Wedding" operetta.

Composed by Oktay Kazimi and with the libretto by Ramiz Heydar, the operetta is staged for the third time and will be one of the premiers of the new theater season.

The play was first presented in 1980 by director Rafig Atakishiyev, and returned on stage a second time in 1996 under the production of Yusif Akperov who is working on the third staging this year.

Akperov believes that the work and the performance are up-to-date and their main point is love for the motherland.

Production will use the modern technological possibilities of the theater, and a twisted plot will present a very original synthesis of past and present, ancient dancing images of Gobustan and vibrant colors, Ukrainian dances and national folklore, music of operetta and ballet, conservative thinking, and modern customs.

The music Director of the play is honored artist of art Nazim Hajialibeyov, the art director is Vusal Rahim, the costume designer is fashion designer and PhD in art Gulnara Khalilova, the choreographers are Zakir Agayev and Elena Agayeva, the conductor is Fakhraddin Atayev, the choirmaster is Vagif Mastanov, the concertmaster is Narmina Abdurahmanova, and the assistant director is Tamilla Aslanova.

Another memorable feature of the play is the costumes created by fashion designer Gulnara Khalilova, a proclaimed designer in Azerbaijan and the winner of a number of prestigious international awards in China, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.

"The visual component is very important for any high-quality performance," she says. "The workload of a costume designer is incredibly great; he studies various materials, agrees with the producer and director on the stylistic unity of the play, creates sketches of costumes, approves them with directors, and selects fabrics and accessories."

"It is also necessary to dress everyone, from the main characters to the crowds. A costume designer is not a fashion designer; he creates not an outfit, but an image, so he also picks shoes, accessories, hats, etc.," Khalilova explains.

The designer has created costumes for the classic Azerbaijani operetta "Arshin mal alan" by famous composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, staged at the 100th anniversary of the State Theatre of Musical Comedy.

She said the work of a costume designer involves the ability to draw, rich artistic imagination, and interest in working with fabrics, propensity to handwork, good color perception, and attention to details.

"A costume designer should be able to draw and know the sewing technology, the history of costume, styles, the technology of clothes creation, the features of fabrics, and the means of artistic processing. Moreover, it is necessary to expand one's horizons by studying the objective world of the present and the past, visiting museums and theaters, and watching movies. All of them can be the source of new ideas," Khalilov stressed.